The Other Human Genome – the Microbiome

Not all causes of disease can be explained by human genetics; there are trillions of bacteria in our bodies that can affect healthy gene expression and development – these bacteria are called microbes.

Current statistics show that the number of researchers exploring the microbiome has increased exponentially. As sequencing technology gets cheaper, faster and better, it is not only catalyzing studies of the human genome, but also “the other human genome” – the microbiome.

What is the Microbiome?

The human microbiome is the sum total of all the microbes, or bacteria, that live in the human body. In a healthy human, it is estimated that microbes outnumber human cells by a ratio of 10-to-1, and the genes that make up microbes outnumber human genes by 200-to-1.

Microbes live all over our body. There are three types of microbes, categorized by the relationship they have with the human body:

commensals are harmless bacteria

mutualists have a symbiotic relationship with the human body

pathogens cause disease

Researchers studying the microbiome are examining the connections between all the bacteria in an individual’s body in order to determine their role in causing disease.

The Human Microbiome Project

The Human Microbiome Project is a project funded by the NIH Common Fund that is focusing on the sequencing and analyzing of the microbiome in order to identify the link between the microbiome and disease.

There are many ways the human genome project could change the future of science and medicine. Understanding the microbiome and the interactions that cause diseases will allow for more specific and pointed medicine and cure/prevention of diseases we previously did not understand.

Do you think that consumers will be studying their gut flora in the near future?

Want to learn more about how the influence of the microbiome on autoimmune diseases? Click here!